Garment form and pressing apparatus



A ril 9, 1957 Filed May 4, 1953 L. K. HlTZ GARMENT FORM AND PRESSING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 1957 L. K. HITZ GARMENT FORM AND PRESSING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 4, 1953 FIG. 2

FIG. 4

INVENTOR JWfi @qttorney L. K. HlTZ GARMENT FORM AND PRESSING APPARATUS A ril 9, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet; 3

Filed May 4, 1953 INVENTOR My invention relates to garment finishing devices, such as are used in steaming, drying, finishing and pressing of coats, blouses and in particular shirts of all types and the like and in this specification and the claims appened thereto the word garment is restricted in its definition to open front garments of the above described types. The present invention discloses certain improvements in the subject matter disclosed in my Patent No. 2,698,705, to which reference should be had for a disclosure of the basic subject matter, including the bucks, mounting and folding movements thereof to facilitate dressing, and the drive means therefor.

One object of the invention is to provide improved means for expanding the sides of the buck form on which the shirt or garment is dressed by means of pressurized air bags, thus avoiding wrinkles as the pressing heads close on the garment.

Another object is to provide 'a superheated pressurized air yoke bag that will quickly dry the many thicknesses of material found in most garments at this point.

Still another object is to provide slidably adjustable arms within the pressurizedair bag to accommodate the various sleeve lengths, and to provide-in the case of shirts in particular padding Within the air bag and attached to the adjustable arms close to the cuff end for the purpose of applying extra pressure to the gussets or plackets, thus drying them more quickly and with a better finish.

Further objects of the invention in part are obvious and in part will appear more in detail hereinafter.

in the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, showing the buck, the carrying platform and the trackway along which it moves into pressing position;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line -2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial end section on the line 33 of .Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation looking from the right of the buck, and showing the upper portion thereof, indicating in phantom the pressing heads and the superheater for supplying the air to the yoke air bag, as they are .moving into pressing position;

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of front self-releasing shirt tail clamp, being a view taken as indicated by line 5-5 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 6 is a detail elevation showing the releasing handle for use by the operator in resetting the clamp upon the shirt tail;

Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged view of a sleever end, with parts broken away;

Fig. 9 is a back view of the sleever end shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a view taken in accordance with line 10-10 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 11 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 1 showing the shirt tail clampingmechanism;

nited States Patent 0 Fig. 12 is a section taken in accordance with line 1212 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 13 is a section taken On line 1313 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings, I have shown the buck or form 3 on which a garment or shirt is to be dressed prior to its finishing or pressing operation. This buck, whose makeup will be further described hereinafter, comprises preferably foldable right and left buck halves 3 and 3". There may be a single such buck 3, or a plurality of bucks such as shown in my aforementioned Patent No. 2,698,705, moving on a trackway into and out of the finishing or pressing position, the trackway being also such as shown in my said patent. As here shown, the trackway comprises a base frame 1 for the inner rails 4 to carry the buck carriage 2 which supports the buck 3 and which is moved into pressing position by paddle pusher arms 68 on conveyer chain 5, the latter passing around sprocket 6 on sprocket shaft 67. Suitable mechanical make-up for these parts is shown in said earlier application. When the buck 3 moves on rails 4 into pressing position the air ducts 7, 8 and 14 connect with their counterparts on the pressing unit, at which time an air valve opens admitting air, heated air, or steam and air under several pounds pressure through ducts 7 and 3 into manifolds 9 and thence into the halves 3' and 3 of buck 3 and also into side air bags 10, and through duct 14 into a yoke air bag 11.

Each half of buck 3 comprises two spaced sheet metal plates 45, perforated with a plurality of small air holes 66, and shaped to provide a half body part 3a, somewhatnarrower than the half-width of the garment, and a partial sleeve section 3b. These plates 45 are spaced by suitable framework including vertical stiffener straps such as 46a, 46b and 460, straps 46d at the top extending outwardly and slightly downwardly to the outer ends of sleeve extensions 3b, and straps 46a extending outwardly from the upper ends of straps 460 between the lower portions of sleeve extensions 3b, the assembly of plates 45 and straps being welded together into a unit.

. Outside the perforated plates 45 are layers 42 of suitable padding such as steel wool, cotton, spring padding or other suitable material. Over this padding is a cushioning layer, 43 of nylon flannel or the like, and the padded form as so composed is covered with a semi-porous heatresistant cloth 44 such as taffeta nylon.

The two buck halves 3' and 3 are received at the bottom in elongated slots 9a formed in the top of the aforementioned manifolds 9, being fastened in position as by means of screws 65. These manifolds are hollow castings formed at the bottom with inlet openings communicated with vertical pipes 52, and are preferably equipped with clamp collars 9b for fastening tightly to the upper ends of the pipes 52. The manifold castings extend upwardly and laterally outward from the pipes 52, and are formed at the top with the aforementioned slots 9:: for the reception and mounting of the buck halves. It will be evident, particularly from Fig. 12, that the hollow interior of the manifold castings are thus in communication with the spaces 3c between the perforated buck plates 45. The manifolds 9 also extend outwardly to form upwardly opening discharge ports leading to the interior of presently described side air bags 10. The manifolds 9 receive heated air and/ or steam from pipes 52 and distribute it to the interior spaces 36 of the buck halves and also to the side air bags 10.

Each pipe 52 is closed at the bottom by a clevis member 52a fitted to its lower end and mounted by means of horizontal hinge pin 59 onto a cylindrical pivot base 52b revolvably mounted on a vertical axis on carriage 2, as fully set forth in my aforesaid Patent No. 2,698,705. In this connection, the folding movements of the buck halves 3'- and3" may'b'e' exactly as set forth in said earlier application, and areaccordinglyto be understood as capable of pivoting on the axes of the members 52b so that the twov halves of the buck. move towards one another intoa back-to-back position" (rearwardlyas viewed. in the aspect of Fig. 2), and also swing downwardly onthehinge pins 59 toassume'sucha position as shownin Fig; 801? the earlier'application, withthe" sleeves upwardly extended, to'"facilitate dressing with the'garment tobepressed; The pipe'sSZ'of buck'halves-3" and 3" are fitted with air ducts 7 and 141, as best shown in Fig; 13, to engage with cooperating air or steam supply fittings When'in the smoothin'gorpressing position of the buck, these parts not being shown'in' the present drawings since theyform" no'part of the present inven tion:

The buck 3includes; betweenits halves 3' and 3", a center column 22, having a hinged' joint 22a on a horizontal axiswhich' coincideswith the hinge pins 59 when thebuck'halves have been rotated 90from the position shown in Fig; 1-, and it will be understood'that the lower portion 22b of this support column is suitably supported on'the'carriage 2; Theupper end ofthissupport column 22' carries a conventional collar block and clamping device 23, not necessary to describe in detail herein, and the latter has a support member 23a carrying the aforementioned'air duct 14 which supplies heated air or steam to theaforementioned yokeair bag 11.

The buck plates 45 withinthearea of the partial sleeve sections 31) form compartments in which are received sleeve extension arms 13; and theseare supported between four rollerslZ for telescopic'extension and retraction relative to the sleeve sections 3b. As will presently be understood, the cuffs of the sleeves are clamped to the outer ends of these arms 13, and the arms move to compensate for varying sleeve lengths of the garments. The arms are held in a normallyextended position by tension springs 15, anchored inside the buck at 15a; and flexible cables'lfipassingaround pulleys 17 and attached to" the rearward ends of thearms13 as at 18L The outer ends of the arms 13 are-furnished with partially split sleever ends 19. The slceverend" I9 is providedwith' acuif holdingclamp 47' (see Fig: 9) actuatedbya' control handle 20 by a wedgingaction at 48011 an'arm' 47a'hinged at; 491

The side airbags 10, which are-composed of'a semiporous fabric, such astaffeta nylon, are-generally tubularin form, andextend along the sides of the body portions 3a of the buck, to'whibh they are fastened, by stitching, fasteners, or zippers, from a-point a few inches above the manifold 9 to a point just' under the partial sleeve section 3b, as indicated at. 26, and extend outwardly under. thepartial sleeve sections 3b of" the buck. These side airbags include portions fitted and air-sealed to the sleever ends 19, using an air-seal'plate '50 (Fig. 8), and extend back from there around the' extended portion of the'extensionarms 13, being sealed tothe otherwise. open end portions of the sleeve section3b of the buck, using a suitable air-seal. band as indicated at 25. The air bag thusforrns the entire sleeve end from theend of 3b to the sleever. end 19. At the bottom, the bags are connected to the upwardly opening air ports. in.thev ends of the manifolds 9,, as. already described. It may now be'seen that hot air and/or steamis discharged upwardly from manifolds 9 both into the space 3vinside the buck and also into the side air bags 10, audit-will be evident that the bags 10 and the space 30 communicate with one another. at the outer ends of. the partial sleeve 'sections 3b of the buck where the'bag Ill-is joined to the latter. Accordingly, in operation, heated air and/or steam is introducedv to these parts, causing the bag 10 to be in? flated, which will be seen to stretch out the-side portions of the garment placed thereover. It will. be seen further. that the spring. actuated. sleeve extension arms 13 will be extended to the full length permitted by the sleeve clamped to thesleever ends 19. The sleeves of the garment and the sides thereof are accordingly expanded and stretched by introduced hotair or air and steam under pressure, extension of the sleeves being assured by the springs 15 acting on the extension arms 13. Within each air bag 10 and around the sleeve extension arms 13 is a padded form 21 of a thickness to correspond with the buck 3.

To thetop' of the'two buck halves is'stitched or otherwise fastened, as at 24, a single yoke air bag 11, and in operation, air or steam introduced to this air bag 11 by way of duct'14 expands, dries and presses the yoke portion of the garment.

Behind side air bags 10 are vertically disposed garment side expander straps 28, which are pivotally connected to the outer ends of semi-flexible parallel links 30 (preferably relatively thin steel straps), whose inner ends are pivotally connected by means of pins 31 to vertical frame members idc. Suitable friction is introduced in-the pivot mountings at 31 so that the parallel linkage formed'by these members will yieldingly occupy any position in which it is placed. Outwardly extending handles at 29 on the lower'ends of'rnembers 28 permit swinging of this parallel linkage in a vertical plane, so that the expanders 28 are moved outwardly and down by downward movement of the handles. Normally, when the garment is placed thereon, the handles 29 will be up and the expander members 23 swung upwardly and inwardly. After the garment has been put in place, the arms- 29 are moved downwardly, causing the garment to be stretched mechanically in a lateral direction prior to complete pneumatic stretching and expansion of the air bags 10 when the buck is in the pressing position of the apparatus.

Front shirt tail clamps 32 are provided to hold the front of the garment stretched tightly down from the collar clamp 23. Each clamp 32 is in the form of an arm brazed to a sleeve 55 ve1tically slidable on a shaft 33 for accommodation to' different sized garments, the shaft 33- being mounted for rotation at the top at 51 and at the bottom at 58: The shaft 33 has a vertical guide slot 53 for a guide pin 54 set into sleeve 55, so that rotationof shaft 33, by means presently to be described, will swing'clamp arm 32 between the two positionsshown infull and dotted'lines in Fig. 10 regardless of the elevation of the clamp arm 32. A spring 34 on shaft 33 below sleeve 55 holds the clamp 32 normally in its" up position. It isheld downwardly in any position of adjustment against this spring by friction when the clamps 22 are in' engagement with the garment.

Tightly mounted on the lower end of shaft 33, as by means of set screw 55a, is the collar of an extension arm 56 brazed to a top controlhandle 35, which extends outwardly from the plane of clamp arm 32 at an angle of approximately 30, as seen best in Fig. 10. A spring 36 connected at one end to the outer end of handle 35'and at the other to a suitable point of anchorage onto manifold 9 servesto provide holding tension to clamp 32, acting always to move the clamp 32 towards the garment on the buck; Immediately below top control handle 35, and hingedto the latter at 37a, is a bottom controlhandle 37, and this control handle 37 is here shown as confined to a limited vertical swinging movement relative to control handle 35 by means ofa guide 3711' depending from handle 35. A spring 57 between upper and lower handles 35 and 37 holds said lower handle 37 normally in yieldingly depressedposi'tion. The clamp 32 and handle members 37 and 35 are held normally in the outwardly swung position. shown in.Fig..1.0i (wheresthe handlemembers are indicated by the numerals 35a and 37a), the handle 37 at such time engaginga'notch 41Yin an angularly extending arm 39 mounted on the manifold 9 (see Fig. 12). To close the clampv 32-OI1 the garment, the handle 37 is raised against spring 57 'to clear it from notch 41, and spring 36 U then acts to swing the clamp 32 .inward to press the garment against the buck. At a subsequent stage, after pressing, when the two back halves are rotated backwardly on their vertical axes (clockwise for buck half 3 and counter-clockwise for buck half 3") prior to being then folded forwardly on hinges 59 to facilitate undressing, the handles 35 and 37 engage a stop 38, mounted on a support plate 49, which opens the handles and clamp 32, and causes the handles to be reset into open position by moving handle 37 again into engagement with notch 41.

Assuming the buck to be in the position of Fig. l, with a garment placed thereon, its collar clamped by the collar clamp 23, its cuffs by the cuff clamps 47, and its tail by the tail clamps 32, the handles 29 of the side expanders are moved down, and the garment so stretched laterally to remove loose wrinkles. By operation of conveyor chain 5, the buck carriage is then transported along rails 4 to a smoothing and pressing station, for example, in the manner described in my said Patent No. 2,698,705. At such station, on opposite sides of the buck, are pressing heads indicated in phantom in Fig. 4 at 125 and 126, mounted on supporting arms 129 and understood to be movable relative to the buck to close on the garment carried thereby. These pressing heads are only diagrammatically indicated herein, since they are not a part of the present invention, and may be constructed generally as shown in my said earlier application, or otherwise, as desired or found suitable. They will be understood to have suitable ironing surfaces 125:: and 126a, respectively, and steam or hot air chambers 12%.

For purpose of introducing steam or hot air to the yoke air bag duct 14, a pipe duct and heater unit 60 is provided, containing suitable heating elements, which may comprise electric heating elements and/ or steam coils. Electric heating elements are indicated at 63, temperature controlled by thermostat 62 in electric power cir' cuit 641 A suitable temperature is 329350 This hot air or steam unit has a coupling 61 which engages yoke air bag duct 14 in the pressing position of the buck for supply of the hot air or steam to yoke bag 11, and the unit 60 will be understood to be mounted for movement toward and from the buck to accomplish this purpose.

Suitable pipe couplings, not shown, are arranged to couple automatically with the buck and side air bag coupling ducts 7 and 8 in the pressing position of the buck, and these pipe couplings as well as the unit 60, 61 feeding the yoke air bag are understood to be supplied with hot air or air and steam at desired pressure and temperature under suitable heat and pressure control, using suitably controlled pump, compressor, and control Valves, not shown.

-'The pressing heads 125 and 126 then close on the buck,

whereupon suitable air control valves in the air supply arrangements are opened wider, or other control functions performed, whereby heated air under a pressure of for instance two to a maximum of about five pounds 18 introduced through ducts 7, S and 1.4 to fill the bags 10 and 11.

The bags 1% and 11 are sufficiently porous to permit escape of air through the pores thereof at a rate which automatically regulates the air pressure within the bags to a desired value of, for example, one to two pounds per square inch or thereabouts. The side and yoke air bags, under this internal pressure, distend, stretch, and smooth the garment, pressing the same tightly against the pressing heads in areas beyond the padded buck form, and also distending and smoothing the portions of the shirt both at the sides and at the top in the areas not contacted by the pressing heads. The heated air within the buck slightly expands the buck padding and presses it tightly against the pressing heads. The heated air within the buck escapes through the buck plate perforations and evaporates moisture from the buck. The heated air escaping through the pores of the air bags evaporates moisture therefrom and from the garment. bags presses substantial areas of the garment against the pressing heads, the two smoothing and pressing agents thus cooperating to produce a superior pressing operation. in the areas of the garment which cannot be contacted by the pressing heads, the heated pressurized air inside the bags distends the garment and smooths and presses the same, giving these areas the pressed or ironed appearance of having contacted the pressing or ironing heads of the press, as well as facilitating the drying of the many thicknesses of material often present in the yoke portion of a garment. Attention may be drawn to the fact that when the pressing heads contact the garment, escape of air through the pores of the bags is virtually halted excepting in the areas not contacted by the heads, so that the pressure within the bags approaches that of the supply of compressed air, gives increased air pressure to smooth and press those regions of the shirt both contacted and not contacted by the pressing heads.

The padded sections 21 on the outer end portions of the sleeve extension arms 13 apply extra pressure to the gussets or plackets found in these areas, thus drying them more quickly and with a better finish.

Thus variable sized garments are completely pressed, excepting for collars and cuffs, giving a superior finish throughout, and particularly in areas of multiple thicknesses such as at the yoke and in the sleeve regions near the cuff, where drying and smoothing has heretofore remained a serious problem in automatic pressing machinery.

It is also possible to use not only hot air within the bags, but steam, or a mixture of heated air and steam, and this is particularly desirable for smoothing shirts and blouses of certain kinds of material and for pressing coats and other similar garments of heavy material.

Theinvention has now been described in one present illustrative form but will be understood to be capable of considerable modification without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus for smoothing the surfaces of sleeved garments, the combination of: a padded garment form consisting of two buck halves hinged for relative folding movement toward a back-to-back position to facilitate placing and removal of the garment, pneumatic bags of semi-porous fabric secured to the outer side edges of the buck halves, and a pneumatic bag of similar material secured to the tops and yoke portions of the buck halves, so as to accommodate said back-to-back folding, said bags being inflatable to distend the sides of the garment beyond the side edges of the form and the yoke of the garment beyond the top of the form.

2. In an apparatus for smoothing the surfaces of sleeved garments, the combination of a padded garment form having partial sleeve sections, sleeve extension arms telescopically mounted in said partial sleeve sections for extensiontherefrom, cuff clamping means at the extremities of said arms, and inflatable pneumatic bags of semiporous fabric surrounding the portions of said arms projecting from said partial sleeve sections of said form and extending from said partial sleeve sections to the outer end portions of said arms, said bags secured to said partial sleeve sections and to the extremities of said extension arms.

3. The subject matter of claim 2, including also yielding means normally acting to extend the sleeve extension arms from the partial sleeve sections of the form.

4. The subject matter of claim 2, including also pads on the outer end portions of said arms within said bags.

The heated air within the air 5. In an apparatus for smoothing the surfaces of sleeved garments, the combination of a padded garment form, said form having partial sleeve sections, sleeve extension arms telescopically mounted in said partial sleeve sections for extension therefrom, cuff clamping means at the extremities of said arms, and inflatable pneumatic bags of semi-porous fabric disposed along and secured to the sides of said form, said bags having portions located under the partial sleeve sections, and portions surrounding the portions of the sleeve extension arms from the partial sleeve sections to the outer end portions of said arms, said last mentioned portions of said bags being secured to said partial sleeve sections and to the extremities of said extension arms.

6. In an apparatus for smoothing the surfaces of sleeved garments, the combination of a hollow padded garment buck having hollow partial sleeve sections open at the ends, sleeve extension arms telescopically mounted in the hollow partial sleeve sections, cuff clamping means at the extremities of said arms, and inflatable pneumatic bags of semi-porous fabric at and secured to the sides of said buck and extending outward under said partial sleeve sections, said bags having portions surrounding the extended portions of said extension arms and sealed to said sleeve sections and to the outer end portions of said arms, and means for introducing heated air into the hollow interior of said buck and into said bags.

7. The subject matter of claim 6, wherein the buck comprises two separate buck halves, a manifold supporting each buck half at the bottom and arranged to discharge hot air to the interior thereof, said manifold having also a hot air discharge p-ort opening inside the cor responding air bag.

8. The subject matter of claim 6, wherein the buck comprises two separate buck halves, a manifold supporting each buck half at the bottom and arranged :to discharge hot air to the interior thereof, said manifold having also a hot air discharge port opening inside the corresponding airbag, and manually operable spring-pressed means mounted on said manifolds for yieldingly clamping the tail of a garment placed on said buck.

9. In an apparatus for smoothing the surfaces of garments, the combination of: a garment form divided vertically and medially into two separate buck halves, means vertically hinging said buck halves along adjacent vertical axes for folding movement toward a back-toback position, a horizontally swinging garment clamp arm for each buck half, a-vertical rotatable shaft for carrying said clamp arm between clamping and release positions relative to the buck half rotatably mounted on the inner edge portion of the buck half, an upper control handle fixed to said shaft projecting laterally therefrom and at an acute angle to the front of the buck half, a lower control handle pivoted to said first control handle and vertically movable relative thereto through a limited angle, spring means connected between said control handles and the buck half tending to swing said handles toward the buck half to rotate said shaft and clamp arm into garment clamping position, a catch engageable with the lower control arm when the latter is in depressed position so as to hold said control arms against said spring means in a position with said clamp arm separated from the buck half, and said second control handle being elevatable to disengage it from said catch.

10. The subject matter of claim 9, including also a stationary stop engaged by said control handles when the buck half is rotated backwardly on its vertical hinge axis to arrest swinging motion of said clamp arm and thereby unclamp the garment.

11. In an apparatus for smoothing the surfaces'of upper body garments, the combination of: a relatively thin and fiat padded garment buck having front and rearward sides positionable between opposed surfaces on a pair of pressing heads, said buck comprising a padded frame of the general shape of the front and back body portions of the garment, means for expanding and smoothing the side edge and yoke portions of the garment where not contacted by said pressing heads, comprising a plurality of individual pneumatic bags of semiporous material secured to said buck along both side edges thereof and over the yoke portion thereof, and means for introducing a gas under pressure to said pneumatic bags to inflate the same while they are positioned between said pressing heads to distend the side edge portions of the garment between said heads beyond the side edges of the buck and the yoke portion of the garment between said heads above the upper edge of said buck.

12. In an apparatus for smoothing the surfaces of upper body garments, the combination of: a relatively thin and flat padded garment buck having front and rearward sides positionable between opposed surfaces on a pair of pressing heads, said buck comprising a padded frame of the general shape of the front and back body portions of the garment, means for expanding and smoothing the side edge and yoke portions of the garment where not contacted by said pressing heads, comprising pneumatic bag means of semi-porous material secured to said buck along both side edges and over the yoke portion thereof, and means for introducing a heated gas under pressure to said pneumatic bag means to inflate the same while positioned between said pressing heads to distend and finish the side edge and yoke portions of the garment between said heads beyond the side and upper edges of said buck.

13. In an apparatus for smoothing the surfaces of upper body garments, the combination of: a relatively thin and flat padded garment buck having front and rearward sides positionable between opposed surfaces on a pair of pressing heads, said buck comprising a padded frame of the general shape of the front and back body portions of the garment, means for expanding and smoothing the side edge portions of the garment where not contacted by said pressing heads, comprising a plurality of individual pneumatic bags of semi-porous material secured to said buck along both side edges thereof, and means for introducing a heated gas under pressure to said pneumatic bags to inflate the same while they are positioned between said pressing heads to distend and finish the side edge portions of the garment between said heads beyond the side edges of the buck.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,317,924 Lendle Apr. 27, 1943 2,327,492 Braun Aug. 27, 1943 2,353,741 Matthews et al. July 18, 1944 2,395,466 Couch Feb. 26, 1946 2,425,194 Lendle Aug. 5, 1947 2,524,197 Korotkin Oct. 3, 1950 2,543,413 Koth Feb. 27, 1951 

